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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rush — hurry
  3. key — for a lock
  4. present — there
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. season — in sport
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. present — a gift
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. key — in music
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. present — the time now
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. key — the most important part
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com